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No MAID Solutions Yet

For people interested in MAID, we were anticipating two reports before the end of December. One report is a data collection on the use of MAID – guidelines for which weren’t posted until November 2018. Consequently, the data collectors may be experiencing some difficulty in compilation. One definitive direction from the Government for both reports: do not create nor post recommendations.

The second report* was published on 12 December, 2018 about 4:30 EST after the close of Parliament and at the end of a normal working day for most journalists. Dying With Dignity Canada(DWDC), arguably the most interested group in Canada, reacted promptly with their review that evening as follows ..

DWDC apologized for the brevity of their response was so brief. They received it so late and the report itself was comprised of three major portions totally more than 276 pages.

* This study and report was requested of the Council of Canadian Academies in December 2016. Full details of the Council(CCA) and the manner of their study are published as part of the report.

Andre Picard, medical columnist for the Globe and Mail, commented on Friday with .. “Expert panel on MAiD has left us with many questions, but no solutions.” His full comment may be referenced as ..

As usual, Picard has said it well, but what could we expect? The CCA was commissioned to do a study but not to prepare nor submit recommendations. They did their assignment well by compiling an exceedingly sophisticated and articulate definition of the problem. In other words, they described all the trees in the forest, but have not shown the way to the other side.

The government knew there were problems. That’s why they commissioned the study. In fact, Government Legislators created the problems in the design of MAID by ignoring recommendations of the original study panel and joint review panel of the Senate and Legislature. It leaves us to question motive. The Government did not want solutions to government created problems. They wanted more time for us to wallow around enduring the failures of MAID. They want time “.. to protect the vulnerable.” Unfortunately, the failures of MAID are increasing the vulnerability. Protection does not come with bad law.

It is time for the studies of the problems to be turned over to those who are best positioned to create solutions. Not academics who can best talk: the walk must be provided by the ‘doers’ and ‘users.’ There are many afflicted with the well established problems of health care; there are many physicians and nurses currently working through the tangles of medical procedure and needs; and there are many care-givers(spousal, familial and professional) who work so hard to support the physical and psychological needs of their patients.

These are the “doers and users.” These are the people who best know the problems; these are the people who can best “protect the vulnerable;” and these are the people who are going to live with their solutions

Begin the solution process by turning the problems over to the “doers and users.”